From Mt Cook we took a drive down to Twizel (best pronounced with a west country accent) and 'freedom camped' at the side of the road. The night was thankfully a lot warmer and even though we had a few horns blown from sad lorry drivers we all caught a relatively good nights kip. The next morning we travelled to a quaint town by the name of Cromwell which was the centre point between Lake Wanaka and Queenstown. Decisions, decisions... The lure of an adrenaline ...

We awoke on the 2nd of August to a very special occasion. It was master Beans birthday! We weren't exactly anywhere picturesque, but still managed to surprise him with a cake and new ACDC t-shirt which went down well though. After having a quick consultation about our route (due to the unexpected changes) we eventually agreed to make our way to Lake Tekapo. We were travelling from the eastern coast towards the west to a place that came well recommended for it'...

Our ferry trip across to the south island was largely uneventful as a lot of ferries are. However, unlike your typical trip from Dover to Calais, you weren't sat on board staring out at a channel of water. Instead you were looking out on the epic landscape of the south islands bays. It brought with it the great sense of anticipation and awe as we'd heard on numerous occasions that the scenery the south offered so much. Our first day on the island was one which ...

The 'River Valley Lodge' was a breath of fresh air. It was placed at the bottom of a v-shaped valley and after a quick chat to the owner we were parked up alongside the lodge next to their magnificent river. The lodge included a spa along with the chance to do grade 5 white water rapids and/or horse treks. The best bit about the place was that it had that homely feel about it which was very welcome when you've been living out of vans. None of us lads took the op...

The drive down to Taupo was unfortunately our first experience of a chip in the windscreen. The joys of driving eh?! But I can't complain too much because the views just seemed to be getting better and better. We came over the horizon to the awe-inspiring sight of the largest lake in the southern hemisphere (it's bigger than Singapore don't you know). The first day here was spent navigating our way around the town before driving out to see Huka falls. The river ...